The Seven Greatest Days of My Youth
by TentenNTemari
Summary: Konoha is having a New Year's Festival, & many people already have dates. Things don't go quite as planned when Guy makes it a mission for Lee & Tenten to go as a couple, but then Lee & Tenten wonder if this was meant to be. LeexTen, other pairings inside
1. Day 1

**A/N: I'm so excited! I'm a big LeexTenten fan and I was dying to write a story just for them! Yay!**

**In the beginning of this story, Lee's still liking Sakura and Tenten likes Neji at the beginning too. But this is the kind of story where as the story develops they (Lee and Tenten) like each other more and more each chapter.**

**Other pairings are KibaxHinata, NarutoxSakura, ShikamaruxIno, ShikamaruxTemari, minor LeexSakura at the beginning and minor NejixTenten at the beginning as well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Day 1, 11:59 am

It was a chilly winter day in Konoha. It was 29 degrees Fahrenheit outside, but that didn't stop Team Guy from training. Today they were at the training grounds, and had been at it since 9 am that morning. Guy and Neji finished sparring a few minutes ago and were now watching Lee and Tenten's match, which was almost over.

Lee and Tenten were about 30 feet away from each other, panting from exhaustion. "Don't wait for your enemy to attack!" Guy reminded them. Then punching his fist in the air, he shouted, "Come on, you two! Use the power of youth!" Neji rolled his eyes and continued watching them.

Tenten carefully measured her distance from Lee, and thought about what sort of attack she should use. She had just figured out what technique would be perfect when Lee disappeared and reappeared behind her before she could even gasp. As she turned around, he shouted, "Leaf Whirlwind!" and gave her a fast upward kick, which sent her flying and landing near a tree.

Guy looked at his watch and said, "Alright, that's enough. It's time for lunch." He and Neji began heading to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. Lee walked over to where Tenten was and helped her up.

"Thanks." She laughed a little, and then added, "Y'know, one of these days I'm going to find a way to stop that Leaf Whirlwind of yours, Lee."

"Lee! Tenten!" The two turned their heads to see Sakura, Ino and Naruto running at them and waving. Out of the corner of her eye, Tenten could see Lee blushing at Sakura.

"The Hogake agreed! We're going to have a New Year's Festival!" Sakura declared. Lee and Tenten could tell all three of them were very thrilled about this news.

"That is great!" Lee said.

"Are you guys going with anyone?" Tenten asked.

"Well, I'm going with Shikamaru," Ino said.

"Really?" Tenten asked, looking surprised. "I thought you'd be asking Sasuke."

"She did," Naruto interrupted. "He said no." Ino gave him a glare.

_Hmm… maybe Neji would be interested in going with me_, Tenten thought, smiling a little.

"A lot of people are going as couples," Ino said, trying to ignore Naruto's remark. "But it's in six days so if you know someone you're thinking of asking, you'd better ask now!"

* * *

Meanwhile, At the Ichiraku Ramen Bar

"Ah, man! I'm starving!" Kiba announced, rubbing his stomach. "One bowl of ramen with chicken, pork, beef bones and soy sauce, please."

"You got it!" the Chef said, and began to prepare the meal. "And what would the lovely young lady like?" Hinata blushed and asked for ramen with boiled egg.

Kiba and Hinata both took their seats while Shino remained standing. Kiba looked back at him, and then Shino turned away. "I'm not very hungry," he said. "You two go ahead."

"Your loss," Kiba said, shrugging. "You at least gonna sit down?" Shino shook his head and walked away. _Weirdo_, Kiba thought.

"So!" the Chef said. He turned around to face them and asked, "Did you hear? We're having a festival for New Year's; fireworks, music, dancing, the whole works!"

"Yeah, Naruto told me about it this morning," Kiba said. "Should be fun. Did you know about it, Hinata?" She shook her head no.

"Yeah, I can't wait," the Chef continued. "But I think the kids are most excited about it, though. A lot of 'em already have dates and it's a week away!"

Kiba knew that Hinata was thinking of Naruto right then; it was obvious to Kiba how much she admired him, looked up to him. He didn't know for sure, but he had a hunch that Hinata was thinking of asking Naruto.

The Chef went back to making the ramen, and Kiba sadly looked at Hinata. "Hinata?" he said.

"Y-yes, Kiba?"

He really didn't want to tell her this; he hated it when Hinata was down, and he didn't want to be the one to burst her bubble. "Listen, um… Naruto already asked someone." Her face fell, and it tore him apart. "I'm sorry."

"Oh…" Hinata began twiddling her fingers, and she looked down at them. _Naruto is already going with someone…_

Kiba took in a deep breath, and bravely asked, "Hinata… you… want to go with me?"

Hinata's face went bright red. Kiba just asked her to be his date! Nobody had ever asked her out before, primarily because she was so shy and hardly anyone knew what sort of person she was. She looked back at Kiba, who was still looking back at her, awaiting her answer. "Yes. I think that would be fun." She gave him a smile, which he returned.

The Chef interrupted their moment with, "Ramen's ready! Enjoy!"

* * *

Back At the Training Grounds

Tenten noticed that Lee was getting a little nervous; he was going to ask Sakura to be his date no doubt, but he was a bit shaky because she had already turned him down more than once. _I'm not so sure if she'll say yes to him_, Tenten thought sadly. _Not only does she not like Lee that way, but she also has a crush on Sasuke. I'll bet she already asked him a long time ago._

"S-Sakura?" Lee asked. His voice was shaking a tad, too.

"What is it, Lee?" Sakura asked.

"Would you like to be my date to the festival?"

As Tenten and Lee dreaded, there was a long pause, and Sakura didn't look too happy about Lee's question. "I'm sorry, Lee…"

"You are going with Sasuke, right?" Lee asked, disappointed.

"Well, no… He said no, and Naruto asked me first," Sakura said.

"That is… okay," he replied. "I hope you two have fun, together." After a short pause, Lee said, "It is lunchtime, and I have been a bit hungry. I will see you all later." And with that, he turned around and headed off somewhere else. Tenten didn't follow him; she knew he needed some alone time.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, poor Lee! Don't worry though; he's going to be okay!**

**The next chapter is when the LeexTenten goodness begins! Yay!**

**Please review! (And this is my first Naruto story so please be nice in your reviews.)**


	2. Day 2

**A/N: Thank you to Andrea Stein, Pooh Bear Is My Hero, and XxDeer-DemonxX for your reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Day 2, 2:37 pm

Lee and Tenten let out a long, sad sigh in unison. Both were sitting together at the training grounds in the dried-up brown grass. Lee was sitting criss-cross, with his elbows on his knees and his head resting in his hands. Tenten sat with both legs stretched out, one crossed over the other. Her hands were placed behind her and she was leaning backward.

"Love stinks," Tenten muttered. Lee nodded in agreement.

Guy, who was just at a restaurant for lunch, entered the scene at that moment. "Alright," he said. The two teenagers looked up at him. He was standing up straight, with his hands on his hips. "I noticed you were down in the dumps this morning during training, Lee. And Tenten, now you're miserable as well. What's going on?"

Tenten looked back down at the grass; she wasn't about to talk to Guy about girl stuff. Lee, however, spoke up. There was unhappiness in his voice. "Sakura is going with Naruto to the festival."

"Oh," Guy said. He bent down and got on his knees, placing a hand on his star pupil's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lee."

"And Neji wouldn't go with Tenten," Lee added.

"Lee!" Tenten said. Now she was really irritated. Not only did Neji turn her down, but now Guy-sensei knew about it and wanted to help her fix her problem, which probably wouldn't work. _He's going to find some bizarre way to connect all this to the power of youth_, Tenten thought.

* * *

Earlier That Day, 12:05 pm

It was approximately five minutes after Team Guy finished combat practice. Lee was heading off with Guy to eat lunch, and Tenten and Neji were the only ones left at the training grounds. Tenten could feel her heart pounding out of her chest as she thought about asking Neji to the festival. _You can do this, Tenten. Just relax,_ she kept telling herself.

Neji was about to leave for lunch as well when Tenten stopped him. "Um, Neji!" Neji turned back to look at her. "Before you leave, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Neji answered. Tenten could tell he was curious and had no idea what she was about to ask him.

"Well, you know the New Year's Festival is coming up, right?" Tenten asked. Neji nodded. "I was just wondering, I mean if you wanted to, we could go together?"

There was a short pause as Neji considered this. "You mean on a date?"

"If you want to," Tenten reminded him.

There was a longer pause. Neji had no idea Tenten thought of him in that way; he always had the idea that she thought of him as an amazing friend, but never as a crush. "No," he finally replied. He saw Tenten's face fall, and added, "Sorry, Tenten. I don't think of you in that way."

Tenten tried to smile. "Oh, that's okay. I understand. Thanks anyway, Neji."

* * *

Present

"It's okay, Tenten," Guy said. "You know, when I was young, I was rejected the first time I asked someone to go on a date with me. But I learned to accept that, because no matter how many times I got rejected…!" He stood up and struck a pose. "I always knew that I had the power of youth, and as long as I had that everything would be okay!" He grinned widely to reveal his ever-so-famous pearly-white teeth.

Both Lee and Tenten stared at him blankly. Guy stopped grinning and scratched the back of his neck, trying to think of better advice.

"Thank you Guy-sensei," Lee said. He still sounded gloomy. "I will try." Tenten didn't say anything, but she still looked annoyed at the fact that her sensei knew that she liked Neji and was trying to give her ridiculous advice.

"What's the matter with you two?" Guy asked, crossing his arms. "Your youth is supposed to be an enjoyable time, and so is this festival!"

"I don't think I'm going," Tenten said truthfully. Lee nodded his head in agreement.

"I don't believe what I'm hearing," Guy said. There was a long pause, and Tenten dreaded the advice that came from her sensei next.

* * *

Meanwhile, At A Nearby Restaurant

Temari watched in disgust as Kankuro gobbled down his large hamburger he ordered for lunch. _I knew we shouldn't have eaten out today_, Temari thought. Out of the corner of her eye she saw disturbed faces watching Kankuro eat his lunch. She turned her head away from her younger brother, mortified. "Kankuro, slow down," she whispered. "You're embarrassing me."

Kankuro swallowed what he had in his mouth and said, "Sorry. Haven't had breakfast this morning." He continued to consume his meal, but slower this time. Gaara was on the left side of Temari, quietly eating the soup he ordered. Temari was eating soup, as well. After Kankuro finished, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and said, "Y'know, there's a festival for New Year's in a few days. Wanna go?"

Temari and Gaara were finished with their lunch, too. "I guess," she responded. She looked at her other brother. "Gaara?"

After a small pause, Gaara replied with a, "Fine."

"Great!" Kankuro waved to one of the waiters and said, "Check, please!"

* * *

Back At the Training Grounds

"Aha!" Guy raised his index finger, having an idea. "I have a great idea! Perfectly flawless! Absolutely brilliant!" He used that finger to point at Lee and Tenten. "Both of you are going to that festival, and you're going to have a great time!" He helped Lee stand up, and then Tenten. After they were up, he took Lee and Tenten's hands and said, "Together!" Just as Lee and Tenten's eyes widened, he joined his pupils' hands together.

"_Together?_" Lee and Tenten echoed. "You mean, like a _date?!_" Lee asked.

"Exactly," Guy said, and gave them a thumbs-up.

"How does _that_ solve our problem?!" Tenten asked. "No way!"

"I agree with Tenten," Lee said.

"But I am your sensei," Guy added, "So that means if I make a mission for you two, you need to accept it and go through with it."

"But—!"

"No buts," Guy said, shaking his finger at them.

"Excuse me, sensei," Tenten said, trying to control her frustration. "You didn't answer my question: How does this solve our problem?"

"You both need to realize that going to a festival is supposed to be a fun thing to do, especially in your youthful years," Guy answered. "Plus…" Lee and Tenten waited for the next part. "I think you make a good couple." Lee and Tenten gaped at him. "Well, see you tomorrow at practice!" He vanished before they could protest any more.

"I don't believe this," Tenten said to Lee. "I can't believe he's making us go on a date. For a _mission!_"

"Yes, I am a bit confused too," Lee admitted. "But we should not question Guy-sensei's decision. He knows what he is doing." Tenten groaned. After a moment, they realized they were still holding hands. Growing red in the face, they pulled their hands back and went their separate ways to get lunch. But they couldn't help but think the same thing: _Why was I blushing?_

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed chapter two! I sure enjoyed writing the parts with Guy in it.**

**Please review!**


	3. Day 3

**A/N: Thank you to my new reviewers, Eddi and WolfGirl88, for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Day 3, 8:55 am

Yawning loudly, Tenten entered the training grounds. _Oh wow, I'm exhausted_, she thought. _I didn't get much sleep last night, and I had the weirdest dream._ Tenten's thoughts were interrupted by loud grunts echoing in the distance. She immediately recognized who the voice belonged to, and wondered how long Lee had been here. It took Tenten a minute or two to reach one of the trees, and sure enough, Lee was behind one of them, powerfully kicking the tree with his right foot. "167, 168, 169…" Small slices of bark flew off the tree with each kick he gave.

It took him a minute to realize Tenten was standing there. He continued to kick the tree, saying, "Oh! Hi, Tenten!" He smiled at her. "How long have you been here?"

"Just got here," Tenten said, stepping closer. After a short pause, she asked, "How about you? How long have you been here?"

"Six."

"You've been out here for _three hours?"_ Tenten asked, shocked.

"I always arrive three hours early to warm up." Lee had answered as if it weren't any big deal at all.

Tenten only stood there in amazement as he kicked the tree more and more. Didn't he ever get tired? Or cold? Or bored? _I knew he always came early_, she thought,_ but I didn't know he came at 6 am!_

"Good morning, my two youthful pupils!" a voice boomed in the distance. Lee looked up and Tenten turned around to see their sensei walking toward them and waving.

Lee finally stopped kicking the tree. "Good morning, Guy-sensei!" he greeted him, waving back. "I was just warming up!"

When Guy was about five feet away from them, he grinned. His teeth sparkled. "What?" Tenten asked.

"Oh, nothing…" Guy said. He laughed a little, and Tenten knew he was thinking of how 'cute' she and Lee looked together. Tenten rolled her eyes.

Neji arrived a few minutes later, exactly at 9 am, and the team began training. They separated into two-sums again for sparring. Guy and Neji began on one half of the grounds, and Lee and Tenten on the other half.

After a half-hour, Tenten was defeated. Lee ran over to help her up, again. "Sorry," he said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Tenten answered. "I'm fine." She turned to see Guy and Neji still sparring, and said, "You want to sit down?"

"Sure." The two of them sat down where they were, in the crunchy brown grass. They watched their teammate and sensei continue with their match, but after a minute or two Tenten mentioned that they'd probably be at it for a while. Lee nodded in agreement.

"You know what I just realized?" Tenten asked.

"What?"

"We've never talked before," she said.

"Sure we have, Tenten," Lee said. "I talk to you every day."

"No, what I mean is that we've never had a conversation that didn't involve fighting in it."

Lee thought about this for a moment. "…You are right."

"So, um…" Tenten tapped the ground with her finger, trying to find something to say. "What's up?"

"Well, we have just finished sparring—" Lee stopped when he remembered what Tenten said about fighting. "I mean… well… hmm… This is hard."

"This is weird," Tenten said. She sounded a tad annoyed. "We're friends, so we should be able to talk about stuff. I trust you, and you trust me, right?"

"Right," Lee said. "But, what should we say?"

"I don't know," Tenten said, now strumming her fingers in the grass. "Uh... I had a strange dream last night."

"Oh. What was it about?"

"It was about the festival," she said, "and in my dream, it was a requirement that every girl had to wear a dress. But when I got to the store to buy one, there was only one left and it was a giant yellow ballroom gown." She and Lee laughed. "So I went to the festival in it, and you got so embarrassed you wanted to wear a paper bag over your head, but you couldn't find a bag so you used a toy bucket."

They laughed again, and Lee said, "That _is_ strange."

"Yeah," Tenten said. "I sure hope dresses aren't a requirement for this festival. I'd look hideous."

Lee shook his head. "I am sure you would look very beautiful, Tenten." He smiled at her, and they both blushed and looked away. After another pause, Lee said, "I have had strange dreams, too."

Tenten looked back at him. "Like what?"

"I had a dream once that Ino took over the world," Lee said, a frightened look on his face. Tenten laughed at the thought, and at the funny expression on her comrade's face. Lee smiled at her. _Tenten has a nice laugh_, he thought. _I have not noticed that, before._

Tenten's laughter faded as she saw Lee's new expression. "What?"

"Nothing," Lee said, trying not to blush again. He tried thinking of something else to talk about, but had an odd feeling he'd forgotten something. "Anyway, what else is there to say?"

Tenten shrugged. "Well, I've always wondered something. But we've never taken the time to sit down and talk before, so I didn't ask you." Lee nodded, awaiting her question, and Tenten asked, "How come you fell in love with Sakura? I mean, you only took one look at her and then you asked her to be your girlfriend."

Then Lee remembered: Sakura! He had forgotten about her while he was talking to Tenten. But what was that supposed to mean? "I'm sorry!" Tenten said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I was just curious."

"Oh, no. That is fine," Lee said. "I was thinking about how I would answer. Well, the first time I laid eyes on Sakura, I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world." Lee began speaking more passionately as he remembered the day he and Sakura met. "She looks like an angel, and I knew that someone like that was worthy of protecting."

Tenten couldn't help but feeling like she regretted asking that question as Lee continued to speak. "She made me devoted to protecting her, and I just want to prove to her that I am more worthy than Sasuke…"

"I said, practice is over!"

Lee stopped talking and he and Tenten turned to look at Guy, who was walking toward them. Neji was walking away. "So soon, Guy-sensei?" Lee asked.

"Yep!" Guy answered. "You three have been doing great today, and I figured I'd let you go early."

"Thank you, sensei," Tenten said. "I'll see you guys later." Tenten stood up and quickly headed for home.

"Have a great day, my youthful student!" Guy called, waving to her. Lee stood up, confused, and Guy asked, "Is it just me, or is Tenten in a hurry to leave? Did you say something to upset her, Lee?"

Lee shrugged. "I don't think so. We talked about weird dreams we had, and then I told her about how I fell in love with Sakura—"

Guy slowly shook his head. "Oh, Lee. Lee, Lee, Lee."

"What?!"

Guy placed a hand on his student's shoulder. "You have much to learn about talking to women."

At home, Tenten was pacing the floor in her room, just as confused as Lee was. "I don't get it! Why do I always feel bad when Lee starts talking about Sakura?" Tenten stopped pacing as her eyes slowly widened. She slapped herself on the forehead and let out a large groan, then collapsed on her bed. Clutching her pillow, she moaned, "_GAH!_ I think I _like_ him!"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if it took forever to post this; I've been busy. Please review!**


	4. Day 4

**A/N: Sorry for the long update; I've been really busy lately.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Day 4, 12:03 pm

Training had just ended for the day, and the clock had just struck lunchtime for Team Guy. It was a somewhat sunnier day; strangely, the weather was growing warmer, even though it had rained the night before. Since then, the fields had hints of green in them rather than a blanket of crispy brown spikes.

"Lee, you want to have lunch?" Tenten asked him while he was stretching. He looked up as she reached into her weapons pouch to draw out a wallet. "I brought money for food."

"Sure, Tenten!" Lee said, smiling. He got up and stretched out his arms. "But where are we going to?"

"I was thinking of going to Ichiraku for some ramen," Tenten offered.

"That is a great idea," Lee said. He ceased stretching. The two friends began walking to their favorite ramen restaurant.

"…I hope that advice will help you, my youthful student," Guy said, giving Neji some advice on one of his techniques. Neji nodded and left, most likely for lunch as well. Guy turned around to see Lee and Tenten walking off together, and smiled.

* * *

Five Minutes Later, At Ichiraku Ramen

"I'll have just have regular ramen, with nothing on it," Tenten said to the Chef.

"Nothing on it, Miss?" he asked just to make sure.

"Yes, please."

"'Kay…" He wrote the order down. "And for you, Sir?"

"Could I please have ramen with chili pepper seasoning?" Lee asked.

"Yep!" The Chef wrote down Lee's order as well, and said, "Coming right up!"

Tenten took the money needed to pay for the meals, and placed it in the Chef's open hand. The Chef grinned, and then began to make the ramen.

"The Festival's tomorrow," he said.

"_Tomorrow?_" Lee asked. His eyes grew wide. "Ino had said that it was _four days_ from now."

"Maybe she got the dates wrong," Tenten said, shrugging.

"That could be," Lee said.

There was a long silence between the two as they awaited the arrival of their ramen. Tenten was fiddling around with her chopsticks, and Lee was staring off into space. Tenten glanced at Lee out of the corner of her eye every once in a while, trying to figure out if her feelings were true, and if they were, why?

Lee was thinking about Sakura, and how his feelings for her these past couple of days had changed. He sighed. _Just yesterday, Sakura passed by me on my way back home and I barely felt anything_, he thought._ What is going on with me? Will this affect my ability to protect her when she is in danger?_

Tenten glanced at Lee, and realizing the worried expression on his face, she tried to find something to talk about. "Do you know who's organizing the Festival?"

"No, I do not," Lee said, snapping out of his thoughts. "Who is?"

"Sakura, Ino and Hinata," Tenten said.

"Oh," Lee said. "Organizing the Festival must be fun for them."

Tenten nodded. She then realized he still looked troubled, probably still thinking about what he was thinking about before. "Hey, Lee?"

"Yes?"

"What are you worried about?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. It is just…" Lee paused, trying to figure out what to say next. _Guy-sensei informed me not to talk about Sakura in front of Tenten, though I cannot imagine why. But what should I say?_ "I have been feeling strange for a while, like something is different. I cannot explain it, but I think everything is about to change. And I wish I knew what it—"

"Hey! It's my favorite girl in Konoha!" Lee whirled around to find a boy their age standing behind him. Lee recognized him immediately; he was one of the boys who used to tease him back in the academy about his lack of ninjutsu and genjutsu gifts. Lee looked at Tenten, who had her face buried in her hands. _If I remember correctly, this boy had a crush on Tenten_, Lee thought, _and he would not leave her alone._

Tenten's hands dropped to the table, and she avoided the boy's gaze. "What do you want, Kentaro?"

"Just wondering if you wanted to accompany me to the New Year's Festival," he said, grinning a toothy smile.

Tenten didn't answer, but instead asked another question. "Why'd you wait until now to ask me?" She noticed that Kentaro was not aware of Lee's presence.

"Well I've been asking around for a couple days," Kentaro said, "Then you came to mind, and I thought it'd be a great idea if I went with you. You're cute."

_You jerk_, Tenten thought. Her expression angered slightly. "So I'm a last resort?"

Kentaro frowned. "Well, I wouldn't put it exactly like _that_."

Lee turned around to look back at Kentaro in the eye. Kentaro stepped back once he saw the rage in Lee's eyes. "Tenten does _not _deserve to be treated this way!" Lee exploded. "Especially from somebody like you! You would be very lucky to go with someone like her to the Festival!" Tenten stared in awe at Lee, surprised he would stick up for her like this.

Kentaro smirked, and then laughed happily. "Why, if it isn't 'ol Bushy-Brow! I haven't seen you in a _long_ time! How've you been, dork?" Tenten stood up on her feet, her fury growing. Kentaro chuckled again, gave Lee a hard 'pat' on the shoulder and directed his next question to Tenten. "So are we going or not?"

"Actually, I already have a date," Tenten said.

"No way! Who?" Kentaro asked.

Tenten's fists clenched at his disbelief. "Lee and I are going together."

"No, seriously," Kentaro said. When Tenten didn't respond, he howled with laugher. "No _way!_ This _loser?"_ Kentaro continued to laugh, and Lee's expression saddened. Lee looked away from the both of them, not knowing what to do or say. "Wow, Tenten! You lose a bet?!"

_SLAP!_

Lee's head jerked up once he heard the sound. His eyes widened when he saw Kentaro holding his hand in front of his right cheek, which was now beat red. His facial expression showed that he was horrified at Tenten's action and shocked that she would do this. Tenten turned around from Kentaro and marched off, furious. Lee only sat there for a moment, wondering if he should follow Tenten or stay put. Afraid of what Kentaro would do next, Lee hopped off his seat and followed closely behind Tenten. Once the two were a good ten minutes away from where they had been, Lee realized they didn't wait for their ramen to come.

* * *

Somewhere In Konoha, Five Minutes Later

Lee and Tenten were seated on a bench near a few shops and houses. Not knowing what to say, Tenten sat in silence in hope that her comrade would speak up first. Lee was doing the same, until he realized that Tenten was not going to be the first to talk.

"You did not have to do that," Lee said.

Tenten sighed and looked at him. "Yes I did, Lee. He was making fun of you."

"But, he is right," Lee said. "I _am_ a loser."

"No, you're not," Tenten corrected him. A soft gust blew across the scene, causing their bangs to move. After it ended, Tenten stood. Without thinking, or looking at Lee, she said, "I pity Sakura."

Lee glanced up at her. "Is it because I am fond of her?"

"No. It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

Tenten shook her head. "It's nothing…" She turned to look him in the eye. "Listen, I'll see you tomorrow. I should get home." Lee nodded and said goodbye, and Tenten departed the scene. On her way home, she thought, _The reason I pity Sakura isn't because you like her, Lee. It's because that girl doesn't know what she's missing out on._

* * *

**A/N: I made up the character Kentaro. There's nobody named Kentaro in the show, right? There are so many characters… I reviewed my tapes and sites but I didn't find anyone named Kentaro in the show. Do you think I did an okay job on this chapter?**

**Please review!**


	5. Day 5, pt 1

**A/N: Special thanks to my new reviewers, tentenxleeFAN, kiba-fangirl860, Drummer-Blossom, mcgabby1994 and Moonflowered for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Day 5, 12:11 pm

"Come on, Tenten. Just open the door and walk inside!"

Tenten slapped her hand to her forehead and let out a long breath. "Do I have to, Sensei?"

"Yes!" Guy said, putting his hands on his hips. He had led Tenten here right after training had ended for the day. "This is part of your mission!"

_This just makes this stupid mission even more ridiculous_, Tenten thought.

"You can do it, my youthful student! I have faith in you!" Guy said with confidence… and his teeth sparkling. He opened the door for her and waited for her to walk in. Tenten sighed and rolled her eyes, and walked into the last store she'd even think of entering: the dress and kimono shop.

"He's making me date my teammate, and now he's making me wear a fancy dress," Tenten whispered angrily to herself. "This really isn't my week…" She walked down the 'small' isle and tried to look for something simple.

_And on top of all that, I think I'm having a thing for Lee_, Tenten thought, groaning. _I swear that the world just turned upside-down four days ago._

"Tenten?" a familiar voice said. Tenten looked to her right to see Sakura, Ino and Hinata coming down the isle. "I never thought I'd see you here," Ino said.

Tenten smiled. "Well I'm up for buying jewelry and stuff, but nothing _too_ fancy… I didn't think you guys would be buying a dress so late."

"We've been so busy organizing the Festival we hadn't had the time," Sakura said.

_And Sakura's going with Naruto_, Tenten thought. _Now I'm sure the world turned upside-down…_ "So Hinata, are you going with anyone?"

"Um, y-yes," the shy girl replied, blushing. "K-Kiba asked me. Who are you g-going with, Tenten?"

"Um…" _Shoot_, Tenten thought. All eyes were now on her. _They're not going to believe me if I tell them Guy-sensei made me go with Lee._

"Neji, right?" Ino asked with a grin. "You're lucky, he's hot!"

"No," Tenten said. "Not exactly…"

"Really?" Sakura asked. "I was sure you and Neji would be going together."

"Well then who else is there?" Ino asked.

Tenten bit her lip. "Well… there's Lee."

There was a short silence, followed by bursts of laughter from Ino. "No, seriously," Ino chuckled, holding her stomach, "Who is it?"

"I already told you," Tenten said. "I'm going with Lee."

"…_Lee?_" Ino asked, making sure she heard right. Tenten nodded, getting a little annoyed at Ino. "Not _Neji?_ You should get your head examined!"

"Cut it out, Ino," Sakura spoke up. "Lee's not that bad."

"Then why aren't you going to the Festival with him?" Ino asked Sakura. "He _did_ ask you."

"Because I just don't like him that way, Ino!" Sakura said, getting angry with Ino as well. "But he is my friend. And it hurts me when I always have to say no to him."

There was a long pause, and then Sakura spoke up again to change the subject. "So, Tenten. What are you going to wear?"

"I was planning to wear a nice blouse, maybe earrings too," Tenten answered.

"They sell blouses here," Sakura said. "Come on, I'll show you where they are."

Tenten thanked her, and followed her friends to where they were leading her.

"Sorry," Ino said suddenly.

"That's okay," Tenten forgave her. _Guy-sensei will just have to accept that I'm wearing something simple_, Tenten thought.

* * *

One Hour Later

"Lee!" a voice boomed. "Hey, Bushy-Brow!"

Lee, who was sitting on the same bench as yesterday, lifted his head when he heard the voice of his good friend. "Naruto!" he said, smiling.

Naruto was smiling hugely upon meeting up with his friend again. "Hey, are you going to the Festival too?"

"Yes," Lee answered. "I am going with Tenten."

"Hm?" Naruto wondered if he was hearing right. "Tenten? I thought she'd be going with that Neji guy."

"Well, she did ask him," Lee said. "But he declined."

"Oh."

"Hey, Naruto?" Lee asked.

"Yeah?"

"Could I talk to you about… Sakura?"

"Sure, Lee. What's up?"

"I am... having trouble with keeping my feelings for her," Lee said. "Have you ever had that happen?"

"Nope," Naruto replied. "Wow, I never thought _you_ of all people would stop liking Sakura. Hey, this isn't about me going to the Festival with her is it?"

"No," Lee said honestly. He smiled. "I am happy for you, Naruto." Naruto grinned and chuckled.

After a short pause, Naruto spoke up. "So, you like Tenten now?"

Lee didn't answer right away. _Tenten?_ His eyes traveled to the ground as he became deep in thought. _Tenten and I are nothing alike. She thinks of me as just her teammate and friend, nothing more._ His face fell a little. _I even remember her expression when Guy-sensei told us to go on a date; I have never seen her so startled, before._

Naruto was growing a bit impatient.

Lee held his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. _But then there was that one time… I was training and she was watching, sitting exactly like I am now. And I could swear I could see her blushing at me—_

"Ha!" Lee sat back up when he heard Naruto's voice. Naruto was pointing at Lee. "You're all red!"

"What?!" Lee felt his cheek with one of his hands, realizing that Naruto was right about his face growing red.

"That _proves_ you like Tenten!" Naruto said, still pointing at him. Lee's gaze drifted to the sky. "Hey! Lee? _Hello!_"

Lee paid no attention to Naruto's calls. _Do I really have feelings for Tenten?_ he wondered. _How— When could that have happened?_

"Come on Lee, wake up!"

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! The next one is about the Festival.**

**Please review!**


	6. Day 5, pt 2

**A/N: All right, here's the moment you've all been waiting for! THE FESTIVAL!**

**I apologize for the long update.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Day 5, 4:15 pm

There was a knock on the door, and Tenten took one last look at herself in the mirror before leaving her room. She was wearing a hint of makeup on her face; light brown eye shadow that matched her hair and eyes, some mascara and a little blush on her cheeks.

She had on a red silk blouse with three yellow stripes across the front, in the same shape as her regular pink shirt with the three yellow stripes across the front. Tenten also wore long, loose-fitting black slacks and black flip-flops. Her toenails were painted red.

"Come in!" Tenten called from her room. "I'll be there in a minute!" She took in a deep breath, wondering if she did the right thing about her hairstyle for the evening. Was it a bit too much for a simple New Years Eve party?

She heard the door open, and Lee clearing his throat. "Well, too late changing it now," Tenten reminded herself. She took the red purse off her desk and went down the hallway to meet Lee.

Lee was standing in the doorway with a bouquet of light-orange tulips. He wore his usual green spandex suit complete with white bandages on his arms and the red headband on his waist. But this afternoon he had on a black tie and black shoes, and his hair looked like he had spent more time on it. He was also not wearing the orange leg warmers and weights around his ankles.

Lee smiled once Tenten emerged. "Hello, Tenten!" he greeted her, holding out the flowers. "These are for you."

She smiled too. "Thanks, Lee. I'm going to put these in a vase right now. It'll only take a sec." Tenten walked into the kitchen with her new bouquet of flowers. She came across an empty vase on the kitchen counter and placed the flowers inside, then turned on the fossit to fill it up.

Meanwhile Lee stood in the doorway and stared down at his black shoes. Suddenly this so-called "mission" didn't feel like a mission anymore; it felt to him like he was going on an actual date with Tenten. He brought her flowers, he was wearing a tie, _and_ she had dressed up for the occasion as well.

And all of a sudden, he felt as if he had something all along and had just discovered it. Maybe something else was on his mind, or maybe he just hadn't noticed it while it was there. This new feeling he was experiencing was different than any other type of emotion he ever felt, not even for Sakura.

"Lee?"

Lee blinked twice and looked up. He'd been spacing out. "Yes?"

"I said, are you ready to go?" Tenten asked him. She was standing in front of the kitchen doorway, and her red purse was looped around her arm.

"Yes, I am," Lee said, smiling. Tenten went over to the doorway where he was and was about to exit the house when Lee spoke up. "Tenten?" She looked at him. "Your hair is beautiful."

Tenten tried not to blush, but failed miserably. "Thanks, Lee." She smiled back at him. The two walked out of the house heading for the Festival, and Tenten thought, _I guess I made a good choice by wearing my hair down._

* * *

4:30 pm, at the Festival with the Sand Siblings

"Hey, I know you!" a girl with long, blonde hair said to Gaara. "You're Gaara from Suna! You're really cute!"

Kankuro looked over at his brother and Ino and tried not to laugh; it was obvious that Gaara was trying to get as far away from Ino as possible. "Poor Gaara," Kankuro said as he paid for his soda.

Temari turned around to see what was going on. "Oh Kankuro, we should go and help him," she said.

"I don't think you'd want that," Kankuro said, grinning. Temari raised an eyebrow and Kankuro explained, "You see, Ino and Shikamaru came together. And while Ino's busy trying to flirt with Gaara, Shikamaru is standing over there with no one to dance with."

Temari saw Shikamaru standing next to a little stand that was selling fish sticks. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere but at the Festival. He was saying something to himself, and though Temari couldn't hear it over the loud dance music playing, she knew what the words were: "This is so troublesome. What a drag."

Before Temari could tell Kankuro that his idea was stupid, he was already pushing her toward Shikamaru. "_Kankuro_!" Temari exclaimed. "_What_ do you think you're doing?!" Kankuro didn't answer; he only continued to pull her arm. "_Kankuro_!" she shouted in his ear again.

In a short amount of time, Temari and Kankuro were right in front of Shikamaru. "You know my sister, Temari," Kankuro said to Shikamaru.

"Uh… yeah."

"Well," Kankuro said, "I noticed the music playing and realized: Temari has no one to dance with! She'd dance with me, but I'm too full from eating a jumbo-burger, and she'd dance with Gaara, but isn't that your date flirting with him?"

Shikamaru glanced at Ino, who was now giggling. Gaara was struggling to get away. Shikamaru shrugged. "Whatever."

"So since you don't have anyone to dance with, and Temari has no one to dance with, _ker-chow_!" And he pushed Temari into Shikamaru's side. They both instantly turned red as their faces came closer, and Kankuro waved at them. "_Have fu-un_!" he sang, and ran off before Temari could clobber him.

As Kankuro rushed over to Gaara to save him, he passed Naruto and Sakura on his way.

"Wow, Sakura," Naruto said. "You look great!"

Sakura smiled. She was wearing a light pink dress that almost matched her hair, which was tied in pigtails. "Thanks, Naruto. You, um, look great too."

Naruto was wearing a tux, but the shirt wasn't tucked in and the black jacket wasn't buttoned, and his tie was messily thrown over his shoulders because he didn't know how to tie it properly. "Thanks, Sakura!"

"Hey, Naruto!" a younger boy's voice asked. Naruto looked sideways to Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon. All three were wearing large green goggles on their foreheads.

"Can you take a picture with us?" Moegi asked, giving him the camera.

"Sure!" Naruto said. "Can you take the picture, Sakura?"

Sakura took the camera and said, "Smile!" as Naruto and the Konohamaru Ninja Squad struck their poses.

Meanwhile, Kiba and Hinata were getting some pizza to eat a little further away. While Kiba was paying, Hinata was sadly looking over at Naruto.

"Here you go, Hinata," Kiba said, turning around with two plates of pizza in his hands. Hinata was still looking at Naruto, and Akamaru looked up at Kiba and gave a little woof.

Kiba sighed. He hated seeing Hinata like this. "Hinata?" he said again.

Hinata jumped a little and turned around, becoming red in the face. "Oh, I-I'm sorry, Kiba." Kiba handed a pizza to Hinata. "U-Um, thank you."

"No problem," Kiba said. He looked down at Akamaru again, and then said to Hinata, "You can go over there and talk to him, you know."

Hinata looked surprised at what Kiba just said. She looked down at her pizza and said, "I can't. H-He's on a d-date right now."

Akamaru woofed again and Kiba looked at him, knowing what his dog was saying. "Hey, Hinata," Kiba said. "Can you find us a seat? I'll meet you there in a minute."

Lee and Tenten arrived at the Festival just then. "Wow," Tenten whispered, looking up at the colorful lights and listening to the loud dance music. "They really did a great job on this!"

"Yeah," Lee said. He shifted his feet a little as the loud music gave him an idea. "Hey Tenten, would you like to—?"

"Let's dance!" Tenten finished for him, and pulled him into the crowd.

* * *

**A/N: More festival stuff when Day 5 continues in the next chapter, and more "Aww!" moments with all the couples in the next chapter as well!**

**Please review!**


	7. Day 5, pt 3

**A/N: Yes, I know. It's been about three months since I've updated. I'm sorry; I've been really busy. Do you know what's made me busy?**

**_HOMEWORK_! Stupid smelly homework!**

**But now I'm super-happy because it's WINTER BREAK! And that means ALMOST NO HOMEWORK! _And_ no school! For TWO WEEKS! AND CHRISTMAS! AND NEW YEAR'S!**

**If I could, I'd jump thirty feet into the air, yell, "WHIPEE!" and land back on the ground without a single injury. I'm extremely happy.**

**Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!**

**And a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed _The Seven Greatest Days of My Youth_: ms. phishy, Pooh Bear Is My Hero, XxDeer-DemonxX, ourantwins, Ruto Kuntai, Eddi, TheSulkingWolf, tentenxleeFAN, Nisou Rin Michiko, Drummer-Blossom, Shika's Rape Victim, animefungirl, Chigirl, Hey, neko-spy-007, kibafangirl860, Rai Lockhart, WeaponsMistress, Martial artist-Mariko, Zoe177, leeluver177, Sweatshirt Shiro, and AnimeMaster24. I greatly appreciate it that all of you took the time to read and review my story. Every time I get a good review I feel warm and fuzzy inside. Here's a virtual hug from me to all of you! (Hugs you) Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you guys!**

**And here's a virtual hug to everyone who is reading my story and/or had put it on alert or their favorite stories list! (Hugs you) I really appreciate it that you're reading my story and/or putting it on your alert or favorite stories list. Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you guys!**

**This chapter is my Christmas present to all of you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Day 5, 5:49 pm at the Festival

Lee let himself fall down on one of the benches, panting. "That was… fun," Lee said between gasps. He had a side ache.

Tenten giggled and sat next to him. "We were only dancing for about an hour," she said. "We should go back out there once you're done resting."

"Okay."

"You're quite the dancer, Lee," she said.

"Thank you, Tenten," Lee panted. "So are you."

"Thanks." She stood up and searched her purse for some money. "I'm going to get us some sodas; I'll be right back." She started to go when suddenly Lee hopped off the bench. Tenten turned around.

"It is my responsibility to buy the sodas," Lee said, still panting a little. He tried his best to stand up straight with a side ache. "You are a lady. Please wait here and I will buy—"

"Lee," Tenten interrupted, "I'm a girl, yes, but that doesn't mean I can't buy my date a soda." She blushed a little but continued, "Besides, you're worn out from dancing. You should sit and rest, and I'll get you something to drink." Before Lee could argue Tenten was already walking away. All Lee could do was sit and rest like she told him to do.

"_My date," she said._ Lee smiled and sat on the bench.

Naruto and Sakura were still on the dance floor. Naruto was trying his best not to step on Sakura's feet and Sakura tried not to mention that he wasn't doing a very good job of it. Not too far away from them, Kiba was kneeling next to Akamaru.

"You know what to do, Akamaru," Kiba said as Akamaru held a folded up piece of paper in his teeth. Akamaru woofed through his teeth and entered the dance floor. He walked to where Sakura was dancing and nudged the back of her leg.

She turned around. "Akamaru?" Akamaru dropped the piece of paper and used his paw to push it into Sakura's foot. She bent down, picked up the paper and unfolded it. _"Follow me,"_ it read. Sakura looked up from the paper and saw that Akamaru was waiting for her to follow him.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Naruto asked her.

Sakura turned back around and faced him. "Everything's fine, Naruto," she said, "I just need to do something and I'll be right back."

"Sure, okay," Naruto said. Sakura followed Akamaru back to where Kiba was.

"What is it?" Sakura asked him.

"I need you to do something for me," Kiba said. "Well, actually, it's for Hinata…"

Tenten walked past Kiba and Sakura a few minutes later, greeted them, and appeared at Lee's side with two cold sodas and two warm blueberry muffins. "Thank you, Tenten," Lee said, taking his soda and muffin.

"No problem," Tenten said, sitting next to him. "This is so much fun. I'm so glad we came."

"Yes, it is a lot of fun," Lee replied. They began eating quietly, both deep in thought.

_I do not know what I am going to do_, Lee thought. _I have been in love with Sakura for so long… Is it possible all those feelings just disappeared? It was only five days ago when Sakura would just look at me and my knees would go weak. Now…_ Lee took a sip of his soda and looked up at Sakura and Naruto dancing. Sakura caught his eye and waved. He waved back at her. _Now, when she looks at me, that feeling I used to have is gone._ Lee looked down at his feet and touched his chest with his hand. _My heart is not racing like it used to… And I know it is not my fault, but I feel like I betrayed her in some way. When I think of Sakura now, I…_ Lee looked up at Sakura again. He still had his hand on his chest._ I think of a good friend._

"Are you okay?" Tenten asked, touching his shoulder.

Lee felt his heart thump against his hand. He put his hand down. "Yes, I am." _And now, when I think of Tenten…_ Tenten gave him a smile in which he returned. _…I think of… love…_

Tenten was waiting for him to say something, so he took a bite of his muffin. "S'good," he said through a mouthful.

"Sure is," Tenten agreed, taking a bite herself. _Okay, so, I like him_, Tenten thought._ I know that now, but it's going to take me a while to get used to this new feeling I have when I'm with him. I mean, my heart's pounding, my arms feel like jell-o, I'm turning red every other second… _Tenten smiled to herself. _You might as well tape a giant sign to my forehead that says "I love Rock L…" Wait, _love_? I don't know if I _love_ him; I've never been in love before, so I don't know exactly how it's supposed to feel like._ She stole a glance of her date. _But this new feeling… as strange as it is… this feeling is more than a crush, that's for sure. And as weird as it feels…_

Lee looked at her. "What is it?" he asked.

Tenten smiled. "Nothing." _As weird as it feels… I don't mind it._ "You know, it feels good to have a little break from training."

"Yes, it is," Lee agreed.

Tenten realized something just then, and grinned. "You know, Lee, I may not be able to win when we're sparring, but I do know a game I _can_ beat you at."

She took his arm and led him to one of the booths. The man in charge of the booth said, "Welcome to the Aim Game! Throw a ball at that bottle pyramid, and if you knock all of them down in one try you win a prize!"

* * *

Much Later, at 11:49 pm

Kiba met with Sakura at the soda booth. "Thanks again for doing this, Sakura," Kiba told her.

"It's no problem, really," Sakura said. "So, around 11:55 the song will begin, okay?"

"Okay," Kiba said, nodding.

"Here's your soda, Sir," the man at the soda booth said.

"Thanks," Kiba said, taking the soda. He then returned to the dance floor where Hinata was. "I bought you a soda," he said, handing it to her.

"Oh, th-thank you, Kiba." Hinata smiled at him. "I'm h-having a great t-time with you. Thank you f-for everything." She blushed and looked down at her feet.

Kiba smiled back. "I'm glad you're having a good time, Hinata," he said. _I really am._

Lee and Tenten were on the dance floor also while the DJ played long and very upbeat rock songs. They both had large grins on their faces as they tried to keep up with the beat of the song, but Tenten couldn't help but feel a little down. _I can't believe it_, she thought. _Only about ten more minutes and then that's it; the date's over, and Lee and I go back to being just friends. Lee will go chasing after Sakura's heart again and…_ Tenten's smile began to fade. _There is so much that I have to keep bottled up, now._

"Tenten?" Lee said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Are you not having fun?"

"No, Lee, I'm having a great time, really," she said. "There's just…" She stopped.

"What is it?"

She took a deep breath. _Just let him know you care_, she told herself. "There's something I have to talk to you about," she said. "Is that okay?"

"Of course," Lee said. They stepped off the dance floor and went back to the bench they were sitting on earlier. Tenten could feel her heart pounding. _I can't tell him I like him_, she decided, _If I did, it would put our friendship at risk. I don't want to do that. But there's something I need to tell him, and I need to tell him now._

Finally she turned to Lee and said, "I'm sorry."

Lee blinked. "Sorry? About what?"

"I'm sorry about what I said," Tenten blurted. Lee still wasn't following, and Tenten continued, "Remember when we first became a team? You and Neji and I? When you and Neji competed against each other I always told you that you'd never beat him." Tenten looked away from him, embarrassed. "I said the reason you wouldn't beat him was because he was a genius, and you weren't." She closed her eyes. "I was way off, and I'm sorry."

Another upbeat song began to play. Back on the dance floor, Kiba was stretching. "Wow," he said, "Those dance moves really tired me out. Wanna go visit Naruto and Sakura?"

"Okay," Hinata said. She and Kiba walked halfway across the floor to where Naruto and Sakura were.

"Hey Naruto, hey Sakura," Kiba greeted them.

"Hey, Kiba!" Naruto said, grinning. "Isn't this a great party?"

"Yeah," Kiba said, "But I'm pretty tired out. What about you?"

"Uh, not really."

"I sure am," Sakura spoke up. "I think I'll take a little break."

"But Sakura!" Naruto complained, "The night's almost over! Only a few more songs left!"

"Well, I'll just take a break during this song," Sakura said.

"I think I'll do that, too," Kiba said. "Hey! I have an idea, Naruto: you and Hinata could dance and Sakura and I could stand here and stretch." Hinata instantly went red in the face. "Would you like to do that, Hinata?" Hinata nodded a little.

"Alright," Naruto said, and began to dance. Hinata giggled a little at his dance moves. Kiba smiled and whispered another thank-you to Sakura. "I know being with Naruto makes her happy," he whispered.

Lee and Tenten were sitting on the bench in silence. _I shouldn't have brought up that memory_, Tenten thought. Her face grew redder by the second, and tears were beginning to form in her eyes. _Those are some of his worst memories, and he hated being compared to Neji—_

"I have something to say, as well," Lee said suddenly. Tenten prepared herself for the worst and turned to face him, looking him in the eyes.

Lee surprised her with a smile. "Thank you."

She frowned a little, confused. "_Thank you_?"

"Well, after all, without your help I would not be as strong as I am today," Lee explained. Tenten's vision began to blur as more tears filled her eyes. "Part of the reason I trained as hard as I did was to show everyone who did not believe in me that I could become a splendid ninja, that I could be just as good as Neji if I worked at it. I value your opinion, Tenten. You are my teammate, and you and I know each other so well, and—" Suddenly he looked alarmed. "Tenten, are you crying?"

"No," Tenten said, turning away from him. The tears finally began to fall, and she wiped them with the back of her hand. "It's probably just… something in the air. That's all."

Lee continued. "Without that extra push you gave me, I would not be as strong as I am today." He put his hand on her shoulder. "That is why I must thank you."

Ino's voice interrupted their moment on the loudspeaker: "Hey, everyone! This is Ino Yamanaka telling you all that there's only _one minute_ left this year! The last song's a slow song, so grab your date and bring them on the dance floor! Come on, Shikamaru!" A groan from Shikamaru was heard, and then the loudspeaker was shut off. Slow music began to play.

"Tenten," Lee said, "Would you like to dance with me?"

Tenten made sure her face was dry before facing him. "Yes," she answered, smiling. He held out his hand and she took it, and they entered the dance floor for the last time that night.

Naruto, Hinata, Sakura and Kiba weren't too far away from the two of them. _Well, what do you know_, Kiba said, looking at them. _Rock Lee and Tenten. I never would've thought of it before, but they look like a pretty cute couple._

"Um, K-Kiba?" Hinata snapped him out of his thoughts. "W-Would you, um, like t-to dance? With m-me?" Her question made them both blush.

Kiba was stunned, but answered, "Well sure, Hinata, I'll dance with you."

Naruto shifted his feet. "Hey… Sakura…"

Sakura smiled. "Okay."

Kiba took Hinata's hands in his (causing them to turn redder), and they began to move to the music. Hinata was looking down at her feet. "K-Kiba," she said, "I think… I th-think I know wh-why you… um… b-but… uh…" Her head lowered even more.

"Hinata." They stopped moving. Kiba brought Hinata's hands together, covering them with his own. "Hey, you can talk to me. We've known each other since our Academy days." Hinata's head remained in the same position. "We've been on the same team for a long time. You know me a lot better than most people…" Hinata's head lifted. "…And I know you a lot better than most people." Kiba smiled at her. "You can talk to me," he said again.

"10!" the crowd shouted.

Hinata gulped. "W-Well," she began.

"9!"

"I j-just wanted to tell y-you that…"

"8!"

"O-out of all the p-people I…"

"7!"

"...c-could've be with at th-this festival…"

"6!"

"5!"

"…I-I'm glad…"

"4!"

"…it w-was you, Kiba."

"3, 2, 1!" Fireworks went off loudly and filled the night sky with bright colors. Everyone cheered loudly over the explosions of the New Year, and suddenly Ino's voice came back on the loudspeaker: "It's the New Year everyone, and you know what that means! Time to give your date a big, wet kiss! Come on, Shika— Shikamaru? _HEY_! GET BACK HERE, SHIKAMARU!"

Before she knew what she was doing, Hinata stood on her toes and gave Kiba a peck on the cheek. She then gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh, Kiba! I-I'm sorr—!" Kiba threw his arms around her and was grinning from ear to ear. "You're the best, Hinata!!!" he cried, lifting her off her feet.

Shikamaru sprinted past them. "SHIKAMARU!" Ino was yelling after him. On his way out of the festival he passed Lee and Tenten, who were staring up at the fireworks in awe.

"Wow!" Tenten exclaimed, watching the fireworks dance in the sky. Her gaze shifted to Lee, and she looked up at him, smiling. Words could not describe the feeling she had at that moment. _Lee… Thank you so much for everything you've done._ Without stopping to think, Tenten placed her hands on his shoulders, closing her eyes. She was aiming for his cheek, but at that moment he turned his head to face her, and she ended up kissing him on the mouth.

* * *

**A/N: Dun-dun-dun!**

**Well, I hope you liked part three of day five. The story isn't over yet, and there will be a dilemma in the next chapter between Tenten and Lee about that last paragraph. Dun-dun-DUN! Anyway, there are about two chapters left!**

**And for all you NarutoxSakura fans, yes there was a kiss involved when the New Year struck, and Naruto will be talking about it in the next chapter so don't worry; I didn't leave them out of it.**

**Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!**

**Please review!**


End file.
